In the Silks by Lisa Wilde

The Cape that summer after you graduated?”
    Henry cocked an eyebrow at his brother, trying very hard to look serious.
    Pat went pale and his hands dropped to his sides. “I swear if you do it…”
    “Relax, I won’t as long as you keep your mouth shut.”
    “Damn, I need to tell her something, Henry. Come on, do you really want to be the reason I don’t get laid for a month?”
    “Pat, why do you think I care if you get laid or not?”
    “Cold Henry, just cold.” Pat shook his head in disapproval at his younger brother.
    “All right, all right, why don’t you tell her that it just wasn’t working out, and I didn’t want to get Jackie’s hopes up that things were going to go any further? How does that sound?”
    “Is that true?”
    “Yes, it is. It’s the edited version.” Henry winked and slapped his brother on the back as they started back toward the house. “So, how are things in the life of the best damn electrician I know?”
    ~~~~~
    While his mother was preparing dinner with help from the other women, Henry went back to his father’s room for a few minutes, then to the dining room where Louis and Pat were. He would have offered to help his mother, despite risking death glares from the others, but she wouldn’t have any part of it; very archaic in a sense, but his mother felt that the kitchen was her domain. And they needed to stay away and let the ladies handle it. That, or the time he and Pat had blown up the microwave had essentially banned them for life.
    When dinner was finally ready, his mother called to them. Pat and Henry got their dad settled and he had fallen asleep. They took Louis and went to set the table; that they were allowed to do. When everything was ready, right on cue, Annie piped up. “Henry come sit with me and Louis, he has missed his favorite uncle.”
    “Ummm Hello…. Who hung the tire swing out back for Louis? Not his favorite Uncle Henry. Wow, I get no love,” Pat said, using air quotes around the word favorite. Then he hung his head and pouted.
    “I love you, Uncle Pat.; Thank you for hanging my tire swing!” Louis giggled.
    Henry dove into the seat between her and Louis that his sister was patting with her hand.
    After all this time in the house and the awkwardness, he finally made eye contact with Jackie. She looked sad until she saw him looking, and then she smiled and winked.
    Seriously?
    At least she was across the table and to his right. No chance of her trying to reach him under the table. She had done that before.
    “Pat, say Grace,” Henry’s mother said.
    “Grace,” Pat said and winked at Louis. Louis covered his mouth and giggled.
    Frannie reached over with her wooden serving spoon and whacked the back of Pat’s hand.
    “ Oww , Ma.” Pat shook his hand in the air. That got a laugh from everyone.
    “Henry, say Grace.” She pointed her spoon at Henry. He put his hands up in a defensive manner. “Okay, okay. I don’t need to get the spoon.”
    Henry said grace, usually everyone added personal gratefulness to this but Henry opted to keep it simple. They all ate and talked about random things. Jackie contributed to the conversations, but she kept all her hateful opinions about others to herself.
    Surprise, Surprise.
    As soon as the human garbage disposal known as Pat was finished with his first plate, he went to grab two beers for himself and Henry.
    “Umm hello, Pat, you Neanderthal, you couldn’t ask anyone else?”
    “Ha-ha, you did not just call me a Neanderthal, Julie. That’s cute when you use big words like that. Let me guess, toilet paper word of the day?” Pat sat down passing a beer across the table to Henry. Henry took it snickering at the banter. He really did love being with his family.
    Tara smacked Pat on the back of the head. “Don’t be a jerk, Pat.”
    “ Oww , sheesh. If one more person hits me, I’m leaving. You women are so mean to me!”
    Frannie picked up her spoon and pointed in Pat’s direction, never saying a